My Saturday in Naija...

Ekale! (That would be "Good Evening" in Yoruba.)

We spent most of the day preparing for tomorrow's party. This morning we went to the hall where tomorrow's birthday party will be held to look at the decorations and make sure things were moving in a forward direction.

After that, we visited with a friend of Yinka's family for lunch. I must say that his cook prepared some of the best Nigerian food I've ever tasted. I wanted to ask for his recipes, but thought it may be a bit inappropriate. We had real pounded yam...all I've ever tasted before was from an instant flour (much like our instant potatoes), efo (spinach in a red sauce), beef, and fried rice. We also had meat pies and cookies. The home of the friend was absolutely beautiful...it was one of the nicest homes I've seen since I've been here in Nigeria, and honestly, was more beautiful than most homes I've seen in the states. Most of the houses I've visited here have marble floors and massive rooms. My bedroom, which is not the master bedroom, has a king-sized bed, a sofa, and its own bathroom. Actually all of the bedrooms in the house here basically have the same layout (bed, sitting space, and bathroom). It's quite nice!

After lunch, we came back to the house and Yinka's niece and I put together the favor bags for tomorrow's party. In comparison to the Nigerians, we Americans have no clue when it comes to hosting a party and giving our guests the royal treatment. Each of the guests will get a bag that contains a Bible, notebook, calendar, bookmark, folder, and ink pen. It should be noted that each of these items is custom, and most contain pictures. Although I haven't attended the birthday party yet, I think it will be on a different scale than most birthday parties for the everyday person back in the states.

Lastly, I got my dresses today. And...they still fit...what a sigh of relief. I will get up early tomorrow to iron my dress for church and make sure everything is ready to go. So, with that being said, I'm going to turn in early tonight (it's 10:30 here). I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.

I pray that each of you has a wonderful Sunday!

-DMW